.\" Copyright (C) 2001-2011 Peter Selinger.
.\" This file is part of ccrypt. It is free software and it is covered
.\" by the GNU General Public License. See the file COPYING for details.
.\" 
.TH potrace 1 "August 2011" "Version 1.10"
.SH NAME
potrace \- transform bitmaps into vector graphics.
.SH SYNOPSIS
.nf
.B potrace [\fIoptions\fP] [\fIfilename...\fP]
.fi
.SH DESCRIPTION

\fBpotrace\fP is a utility for tracing a bitmap, which means,
transforming a bitmap into a smooth, scalable image. The input is a
bitmap, which means, a pixel-based image composed of the two colors
black and white only. The default output is an encapsulated PostScript
file (EPS). A typical use is to create EPS files from scanned data,
such as company or university logos, handwritten notes, etc. The
resulting image is not "jaggy" like a bitmap, but smooth. It can then
be rendered at any resolution.

\fBpotrace\fP can read bitmaps in the following formats: PBM, PGM, PPM
(collectively known as PNM, see pnm(5)), as well as BMP (Windows and
OS/2 bitmap formats). The input image should only use the two colors
black and white. If other pixel values appear in the input, they will
be converted to black and white using a simple threshold method.

\fBpotrace\fP can currently produce the following output formats: EPS,
PostScript, PDF, SVG, DXF, PGM, Gimppath, and XFig. Additional backends
might be added in the future.
.SH OPTIONS

The following options are supported. Dimensions (arguments of type
\fIdim\fP) can have optional units, e.g. 6.5in, 15cm, 100pt.
The default unit is inches (or centimeters, if this was configured at
compile time, see COMPILE TIME CONFIGURATION below). For pixel-based
output formats such as PGM, DXF, and Gimppath, the default unit is pixels.
.SS General options:
.TP 15
.B -h, --help
print help message and exit.
.TP
.B -v, --version
print version info and exit. This also shows the defaults that were
compiled into this version of \fBpotrace\fP.
.TP
.B -l, --license
print license info and exit.
.PD
.SS Input/output options:
.TP 15
.B \fIfilename\fP
Each file can hold an input image, or multiple concatenated input
images. If filename arguments are given, then \fBpotrace\fP will by default
create one output file for each input filename given. The name of the
output file is obtained from the input filename by changing its suffix
according to the chosen backend. If changing the suffix is impossible
because the names of the input and output files would be identical,
then the output filename is created by adding the "-out" suffix to the
name of the input file. If no filename arguments are given, then
\fBpotrace\fP acts as a filter, reading from standard input and
writing to standard output. A filename of "-" may be given to specify
reading from standard input.
.TP
.B -o \fIfilename\fP, --output \fIfilename\fP
write output to this file. All output is directed to the specified
file. If this option is used, then multiple input filenames are
only allowed for multi-page backends (see BACKEND TYPES below). In this case,
each input file may contain one or more bitmaps, and all the bitmaps from
all the input files are processed and the output concatenated into a
single file. A filename of "-" may be given to specify writing to
standard output.
.TP
.B --
End of options. Any remaining arguments are interpreted as
filenames. This also disables filter mode, even if no filenames are
given. This is useful for shell scripts, because \fBpotrace -- $FILENAMES\fP
will behave correctly even for an empty list of filenames. However,
\fB--\fP with an empty list of filenames is not permitted in conjunction
with the \fB-o\fP option, because this would generate a document of zero
pages, which none of the backends permit.
.PD
.SS Backend selection:
For general information, see also BACKEND TYPES below.
.TP 15
.B -b \fIname\fP, --backend \fIname\fP
Select backend by name, where \fIname\fP is one of eps, postscript,
ps, pdf, pdfpage, svg, dxf, pgm, gimppath, xfig. Backend names can be
abbreviated by a prefix as long as it is unambiguous. Backend names
are case insensitive.
.TP
.B -e, --eps, -b eps, --backend eps
EPS backend (default). The output is an encapsulated PostScript
file. This is a single-page, variable-sized backend.
.TP
.B -p, --postscript, -b ps, --backend ps
PostScript backend. The output is a PostScript file. This is a
multi-page, fixed-size backend. If the input consists of multiple
bitmaps, they are each rendered on a separate page.
.TP
.B -b pdf, --backend pdf
PDF backend. The output is a file in the Portable Document Format.  If
the input consists of multiple bitmaps, they are each rendered on a
separate page. This is a multi-page, variable-sized, backend.
.TP
.B -b pdfpage, --backend pdfpage
The PDFPage backend is like the PDF backend, except that it is
fixed-size like the PostScript backend.
.TP
.B -s, --svg, -b svg, --backend svg
SVG backend. The output is a Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) file. 
This is a single-page, variable-sized backend.
.TP
.B -b dxf, --backend dxf
DXF backend. The output is a file in the Drawing Interchange Format
(DXF). In this backend, all Bezier curves are approximated by
piecewise circular arcs; this is suitable for processing in CAD
software or for machining applications using CNC tools. This is a
single-page, variable-sized, pixel-based backend. The \fB-u\fP option
has no effect for this backend.
.TP
.B -g, --pgm, -b pgm, --backend pgm
PGM backend. The output is a portable greymap (PGM) file. It
is a convenient backend for antialiasing a bitmap image. This is a
multi-page, variable-sized, pixel-based backend. If the input consists
of more than one image, the images are concatenated in the output. 
.TP
.B -b gimppath, --backend gimppath
Gimppath backend. This backend produces output suitable to be imported
as a path by the GNU Image Manipulation Program (Gimp) (in the Layers,
Channels & Paths dialog, select Paths, then right-click and select
Import Path). The output is actually an SVG file. The differences to
the SVG backend are: the \fB--opaque\fP option has no effect, the
\fB--flat\fP option is always on, and the dimensions are
pixel-based. This is a single-page, variable-sized, pixel-based backend.
.TP
.B -b xfig, --backend xfig
XFig backend. The output is a file in the XFig format.  Note that XFig
uses X-splines instead of Bezier curves, thus it is not possible to
translate the output of \fBpotrace\fP into the XFig format with
absolute accuracy. This backend does a reasonable approximation using
two control points for each Bezier curve segment. The \fB-u\fP option
has no effect for this backend, because control points are always
rounded to the nearest 1/1200 of an inch in XFig. Curve optimization
is disabled. Implies \fB--opaque\fP.
.PD
.SS Algorithm options:
For more detailed information on these options, see TECHNICAL
DOCUMENTATION below.
.TP 15
.B -z \fIpolicy\fP, --turnpolicy \fIpolicy\fP
specify how to resolve ambiguities in path decomposition. Must be one of
black, white, right, left, minority, majority, or random. Default is
minority. Turn policies can be abbreviated by an unambigous prefix,
e.g., one can specify min instead of minority. 
.TP
.B -t \fIn\fP, --turdsize \fIn\fP
suppress speckles of up to this many pixels.
.TP
.B -a \fIn\fP, --alphamax \fIn\fP
set the corner threshold parameter. The default value is 1. The
smaller this value, the more sharp corners will be produced. If this
parameter is negative, then no smoothing will be performed and the
output is a polygon. The largest useful value is 4/3 or 1.334, which
suppresses all corners and leads to completely smooth output. 
.TP
.B -n, --longcurve
turn off curve optimization. Normally \fBpotrace\fP tries to join
adjacent Bezier curve segments when this is possible. This option
disables this behavior, resulting in a larger file size.
.TP
.B -O \fIn\fP, --opttolerance \fIn\fP
set the curve optimization tolerance. The default value is
0.2. Larger values allow more consecutive Bezier curve segments to be
joined together in a single segment, at the expense of accuracy. 
.TP
.B -u \fIn\fP, --unit \fIn\fP
set output quantization. Coordinates in the output are rounded to
1/unit pixels. The default of 10 usually gives good results. For some
of the debug modes, a value of 100 gives more accurate output. This
option has no effect for the XFig backend, which always rasterizes to
1/1200 inch, or for the DXF backend.
.TP
.B -d \fIn\fP, --debug \fIn\fP
produce debugging output of type n. This has different effects for
different backends. For the PostScript/EPS backends, the values
n=1,2,3 illustrate the intermediate stages of the \fBpotrace\fP
algorithm.
.PD
.SS Scaling and placement options:
.TP 15
.B -P \fIformat\fP, --pagesize \fIformat\fP
for fixed-size backends, set page size. The following formats can be
specified: A4, A3, A5, B5, Letter, Legal, Tabloid, Statement,
Executive, Folio, Quarto, 10x14. Format names are case
insensitive. Also, an argument of the form \fIdim\fPx\fIdim\fP is
accepted to specify arbitrary dimensions. The default page size is
Letter (or A4, if this was configured at compile time, see COMPILE
TIME CONFIGURATION below).  Page format names can be abbreviated by a
prefix as long as it is unambiguous. This option has no effect for
variable-sized backends.
.TP
.B -W \fIdim\fP, --width \fIdim\fP
set the width of output image (before any rotation and margins). If
only one of width and height is specified, the other is adjusted
accordingly so that the aspect ratio is preserved.
.TP
.B -H \fIdim\fP, --height \fIdim\fP
set the height of output image. See \fB-W\fP for details.
.TP
.B -r \fIn\fP[x\fIn\fP], --resolution \fIn\fP[x\fIn\fP]
for dimension-based backends, set the resolution (in dpi). One inch in
the output image corresponds to this many pixels in the input. Note
that a larger value results in a smaller output image.  It is possible
to specify separate resolutions in the x and y directions by giving
an argument of the form \fIn\fPx\fIn\fP. For variable-sized backends,
the default resolution is 72dpi. For fixed-size backends, there is no
default resolution; the image is by default scaled to fit on the
page. This option has no effect for pixel-based backends. If \fB-W\fP
or \fB-H\fP are specified, they take precedence.
.TP
.B -x \fIn\fP[x\fIn\fP], --scale \fIn\fP[x\fIn\fP]
for pixel-based backends, set the scaling factor. A value greater than
1 enlarges the output, a value between 0 and 1 makes the output
smaller. The default is 1. It is possible to specify separate scaling
factors for the x and y directions by giving an argument of the form
\fIn\fPx\fIn\fP. This option has no effect for dimension-based
backends. If \fB-W\fP or \fB-H\fP are specified, they take precedence.
.TP
.B -S \fIn\fP, --stretch \fIn\fP
set the aspect ratio. A value greater than 1 means the image will be
stretched in the y direction. A value between 0 and 1 means the image
will be compressed in the y direction.
.TP
.B -A \fIangle\fP, --rotate \fIangle\fP
set the rotation angle (in degrees). The output will be rotated
counterclockwise by this angle. This is useful for compensating for
images that were scanned not quite upright.
.TP
.B -M \fIdim\fP, --margin \fIdim\fP
set all four margins. The effect and default value of this option
depend on the backend.  For variable-sized backends, the margins will
simply be added around the output image (or subtracted, in case of
negative margins). The default margin for these backends is 0.  For
fixed-size backends, the margin settings can be used to control the
placement of the image on the page. If only one of the left and right
margin is given, the image will be placed this distance from the
respective edge of the page, and similarly for top and bottom. If
margins are given on opposite sides, the image is scaled to fit
between these margins, unless the scaling is already determined
explicitly by one or more of the \fB-W\fP, \fB-H\fP, \fB-r\fP, or
\fB-x\fP options. By default, fixed-size backends use a non-zero
margin whose width depends on the page size.
.TP
.B -L \fIdim\fP, --leftmargin \fIdim\fP
set the left margin. See \fB-M\fP for details.
.TP
.B -R \fIdim\fP, --rightmargin \fIdim\fP
set the right margin. See \fB-M\fP for details.
.TP
.B -T \fIdim\fP, --topmargin \fIdim\fP
set the top margin. See \fB-M\fP for details.
.TP
.B -B \fIdim\fP, --bottommargin \fIdim\fP
set the bottom margin. See \fB-M\fP for details.
.TP
.B --tight
remove whitespace around the image before scaling and margins are
applied. If this option is given, calculations of the width, height,
and margins are based on the actual vector outline, rather than on the
outer dimensions of the input pixmap, which is the default. In
particular, the \fB--tight\fP option can be used to remove any
existing margins from the input image. See the file placement.pdf for
a more detailed illustration.
.PD
.SS Color options:
These options are only supported by certain backends. The DXF backend
does not support color.
.TP 15
.B -C \fI#rrggbb\fP, --color \fI#rrggbb\fP
set the foreground color of the output image. The default is
black.
.TP
.B --fillcolor \fI#rrggbb\fP
set the fill color of the output image, i.e., the color of the "white"
parts. The default is to leave these parts transparent. Implies
\fB--opaque\fP.
.TP
.B --opaque
fill in the white parts of the image opaquely, instead of leaving
them transparent. This only applies to interior white parts, i.e.,
those that are enclosed inside a black outline. Opaqueness is always in effect
for the XFig backend.
.PD
.SS SVG options:
.TP 15
.B --group
for SVG output, try to group related paths together. Each path is
grouped together with all paths that are contained inside it, so that
they can be moved around as a unit with an SVG editor. This makes
coloring individual components slightly more cumbersome, and thus it
is not the default.
.TP
.B --flat
for SVG output, put the entire image into a single path. This makes it
impossible to color the components individually, and thus it is not
the default. But the resulting SVG file can be more easily imported by
some applications such as Gimp. In fact, the Gimppath backend is a
variation of the SVG backend with the \fB--flat\fP option and pixel-based
scaling. The \fB--flat\fP option has no effect if \fB--opaque\fP
has been selected. 
.PD
.SS PostScript/EPS/PDF options:
.TP 15
.B -c, --cleartext
do not compress the output. This option disables the use of
compression filters in the PostScript and PDF output. In the
PostScript backend, if \fB-c\fP and \fB-q\fP are used together, the
resulting output can be easily read by other programs or even by
humans.
.TP
.B -2, --level2
use PostScript level 2 compression (default). The resulting file size
is ca. 40% smaller than if the \fB-c\fP option is used.
.TP
.B -3, --level3
use PostScript level 3 compression, if available. This gives slightly
smaller files than using \fB-2\fP, but the resulting files may not
print on older PostScript level 2 printers. If support for PostScript
level 3 compression has been disabled at compile time, a warning
message is printed and level 2 compression is used instead.
.TP
.B -q, --longcoding
turn off optimized numerical coding in PostScript output. Normally,
\fBpotrace\fP uses a very compact numerical format to represent Bezier
curves in PostScript, taking advantage of existing redundancy in the curve
parameters. This option disables this behavior, resulting in longer,
but more readable output (particularly if the \fB-c\fP option is also
used).
.PD
.SS PGM options:
.TP 15
.B -G \fIn\fP, --gamma \fIn\fP
set the gamma value for anti-aliasing (default is 2.2). Most computer
displays do not render shades of grey linearly, i.e., a grey value of
0.5 is not displayed as being exactly half-way between black and
white. The gamma parameter corrects for this, and therefore leads to
nicer looking output. The default value of 2.2 is appropriate for most
normal CRT displays.
.PD
.SS Frontend options:
.TP 15
.B -k \fIn\fP, --blacklevel \fIn\fP
set the threshold level for converting input images to bitmaps. The
\fBpotrace\fP algorithm expects a bitmap, thus all pixels of the input
images are converted to black or white before processing begins.
Pixels whose brightness is less than \fIn\fP are converted to black,
all other pixels to white. Here \fIn\fP is a number between 0 and
1. One case is treated specially: if the input is in an indexed color
format with exactly 2 colors, then the blacklevel is ignored and the
darker of the two colors is mapped to black.

Note: the method used by \fBpotrace\fP for converting greymaps to
bitmaps is very crude; much better results can be obtained if a
separate program, such as \fBmkbitmap\fP(1), is used for this
purpose. In particular, \fBmkbitmap\fP(1), which is distributed with
\fBpotrace\fP, has the ability to scale and interpolate the image
before thresholding, which results in much better preservation of
detail. 
.TP
.B -i, --invert
invert the input bitmap before processing.
.PD
.SS Progress bar options:
.TP 15
.B --progress
display a progress bar for each bitmap that is processed. This is
useful for interactive use.  The default behavior is not to show any
progress information.
.TP
.B --tty \fImode\fP
set the terminal mode for progress bar rendering. Possible values are
"vt100", which requires a vt100-compatible terminal, and "dumb",
which uses only ASCII characters. The default is system dependent.
.PD
.SH "BACKEND TYPES"
Backends can be classified in several ways, which affects the 
available command line options and their behavior:
.TP 5
.B Fixed-size or variable-sized:
For fixed-size backends, the size of the page is always the same (for
example Letter or A4, as specified at compile time or by the \fB-P\fP
option). By default, the image will be centered and scaled to fit the
page size. For variable-size backends, the size of the page follows
the size of the image. Currently the PostScript (PS), PDFPage, and
XFig backends are fixed-size, and the remaining backends are
variable-size.
.TP
.B Dimension-based or pixel-based:
In dimension-based backends, distances are measured in physical units
such as inches or centimeters. In pixel-based backends, distances are
measured in pixel units. The \fB-r\fP option only works for
dimension-based backends, and the \fB-x\fP option only works
for pixel-based backends. Currently, the DXF, PGM, and Gimppath
backends are pixel-based, and the remaining backends are
dimension-based. Currently, all pixel-based backends are variable-sized.
.TP
.B Single-page or multi-page:
Single-page backends can only accept a single image. Multi-page backends can
accept multiple images, typically one per page of output. Currently, the
PostScript (PS), PDF, PDFPage, and PGM backends are multi-page, and
the remaining backends are single-page. Note that multiple input
images can be read in two ways: from multiple input files (with the
\fB-o\fP option), or from a single input file that holds several
concatenated images.
.PD
.SH "COMPILE TIME CONFIGURATION"

Certain aspects of the behavior of \fBpotrace\fP can be configured at
compile time by passing the following options to the ./configure
script.
.TP 5
.B --disable-zlib
compile \fBpotrace\fP without the zlib compression library. This means
PostScript level 3 compression will not be available.
.TP
.B --enable-metric
compile \fBpotrace\fP with centimeters as the default unit instead of
inches. 
.TP
.B --enable-a4
compile \fBpotrace\fP with A4 as the default page size.
.PD
.SH "EXIT STATUS"

The exit status is 0 on successful completion, 1 if the command line
was invalid, and 2 on any other error. 
.SH VERSION

1.10
.SH AUTHOR

Peter Selinger <selinger at users.sourceforge.net>
.SH "TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION"

For a detailed technical description of the \fBpotrace\fP algorithm,
see the file potrace.pdf, which is available from the \fBpotrace\fP
web site. For information on the Potrace library API, see potracelib.pdf. 
.SH "WEB SITE AND SUPPORT"

The latest version of \fBpotrace\fP is available from
http://potrace.sourceforge.net/. This site also contains a list of
frequently asked questions, as well as information on how to obtain
support.
.SH "SEE ALSO"

\fBmkbitmap\fP(1)
.SH COPYRIGHT

Copyright (C) 2001-2011 Peter Selinger

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
(at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
GNU General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307,
USA. See also http://www.gnu.org/.
